On the recordMay 13, 2015
I thank my good friend from Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a physician, as a father, and as a grandfather in support of H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. It is no surprise that unborn children as young as 20 weeks postfertilization feel, respond to, and recoil from pain. These tiny forming human beings make faces, yawn, stretch, and suck their thumbs. I have my own granddaughter, who is now about 20 months of age. When we viewed her 4-D ultrasound, her face compared to today is almost exactly the same. It is unbelievable how humanlike, how much like a baby, a baby really is in the womb because--let's admit it--it is a child; it is a human life. We celebrate when our friends and families post these precious ultrasound pictures. In fact, life is always a celebration, and it is only right that we should be vigilant to ensure that the womb remains the most peaceful, protected place for a child to grow and be nurtured. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 36, which will protect children in the fifth month of development from the excruciating pain and intended violent death of an abortion.
